The National Rifle Association is tired of gun groups it says are giving ammunition to the gun-grabbers in the land, but some open-carry enthusiasts are firing back.

With open-carry advocates staging in-your-face demonstrations in Texas that have led the corporations that own Sonic and Chili’s to ban weapons entirely, the NRA issued a statement Friday asking the Second Amendment’s most enthusiastic supporters to tone it down a little.

The behavior, the NRA stated, amounted to “downright foolishness.”

“Recently, demonstrators have been showing up in various public places, including coffee shops and fast food restaurants, openly toting a variety of tactical long guns. Unlicensed open carry ofhandguns is legal in about half the U.S. states, and it is relatively common and uncontroversial in some places.

“Yet while unlicensed open carry of long guns is also typically legal in most places, it is a rare sight to see someone sidle up next to you in line for lunch with a 7.62 rifle slung across his chest, much less a whole gaggle of folks descending on the same public venue with similar arms.

“Let’s not mince words, not only is it rare, it’s downright weird and certainly not a practical way to go normally about your business while being prepared to defend yourself. To those who are not acquainted with the dubious practice of using public displays of firearms as a means to draw attention to oneself or one’s cause, it can be downright scary. It makes folks who might normally be perfectly open-minded about firearms feel uncomfortable and question the motives of pro-gun advocates …

“More to the point, it’s just not neighborly … Using guns merely to draw attention to yourself in public not only defies common sense, it shows a lack of consideration and manners …

“[W]hen people act without thinking, or without consideration for others – especially when it comes to firearms – they set the stage for further restrictions on our rights. Firearm owners face enough challenges these days; we don’t need to be victims of friendly fire.”

Open Carry Texas, which organized the demonstrations, including one Saturday night after the NRA’s statement was released, didn’t take the criticism kindly.